master database

The master database controls the operation of Adaptive Server and stores information about all user databases and their associated database devices. Table 2-1 describes information the master database tracks.

Table 2-1: Information the master database tracks

Information

System table

User accounts

syslogins

Remote user accounts

sysremotelogins

Remote servers that this server can interact with

sysservers

Ongoing processes

sysprocesses

Configurable environment variables

sysconfigures

System error messages

sysmessages

Databases on Adaptive Server

sysdatabases

Storage space allocated to each database

sysusages

Tapes and disks mounted on the system

sysdevices

Active locks

syslocks

Character sets

syscharsets

Languages

syslanguages

Users who hold server-wide roles

sysloginroles

Server roles

syssrvroles

Adaptive Server engines that are online

sysengines

Because the master database stores information about user databases and devices, you must be in the master database in order to issue the create database, alter database, disk init, disk refit, disk reinit, and disk mirroring commands.